Taskmaster

Series 1
- Episode 1
Melon Buffet

Review

by Jack Seale

As a civilisation, we’re starting to realise that asking questions about news or trivia from behind a desk isn’t the best way to wring semi-improvised laughs out of moderately popular comedians. Far wiser to make them do something less restrictive, where the thing itself is funny before anyone starts. So we come to this fun new jolly, where titular Taskmaster Greg Davies – flanked by the show’s creator Alex Horne - awards comics marks for eating as much watermelon as they can in a minute, emptying a bathtub without pulling the plug out, or painting a horse while riding a horse.

The comfortingly familiar guests are Frank Skinner, Josh Widdicombe, Roisin Conaty, Romesh Ranganathan and Tim Key. Skinner is a good weathervane, since he’s been around far too long to bother laughing politely at unfunny jokes. Here, he laughs a lot.

Summary

Greg Davies, aka The Taskmaster, sets challenges including trying to paint the best picture of a horse while riding a horse, melon-eating and bath-emptying to Roisin Conaty, Tim Key, Romesh Ranganathan, Frank Skinner and Josh Widdicombe, ultimately deciding who wins. Alex Horne acts as Davies' right-hand-man, coaxing the contestants to reveal how comic, creative and seriously competitive they are.